Knit simulated lace



Oct. 10, 1961 u. ALFANO 3,

KNIT SIMULATED LACE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1958 INVENTOR Lleo ALF'ANQ BY asbn, MAM "W E ATTORNEYS Oct. 10, 1961 u. ALFANO 3,003,343

KNIT SIMULATED LACE Filed Feb. 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS INVENTOR ueo ALFANO United States Patent jO 3,003,343 KNIT SIMULATED LACE Ugo Alfano, Mount Airy, N.C., assignor to Renfro Hosiery Mills Company, Mount Airy, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Feb. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 715,742 6 Claims. (Cl. 66-172) This invention relates generally to a simulated knit lace fabric and more particularly to a simulated lace which is knit on a circular independent needle knitting rnachine and forms an ornamented edge or top of the cuff of a stocking. The simulated lace of the present invention is produced in a single continuous operation on the same machine as the cuff of the knitted stocking and therefore does not require two separate operations. This simulated lace edge is of particular importance in the manufacture of infant'and baby socks where an ornamerited edge or top is very desirable.

Heretofore, most infant socks have been knit with a true-rib knit cuff attached to a plain knit foot and a lace border or edge sewed or otherwise attached to the edge of the cuff. The lace border is manufactured on a special machine and must be attached to the knit cuff of the sock by a special operation, which necessarily increases the cost of producing infant socks.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a simulated lace fabric which may be knit on the same machine that the knitted cuff is knitted on so that the simulated lace fabric and the usual knitted cufi are formed and joined together in a single continuous operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simu lated lace fabric which is knit on a circular knitting machine also capable of knitting a plain or rib knit cuff integral with the lace fabric to thereby materially reduce the usual cost of manufacture of this type fabric. The production of this fabric on a single machine in a continuous operation thus does away with the cost of special machines to produce the lace and the cost of having the 4 lace sewed onto the sock.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- 4 FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a stocking provided with a knitted simulated lace edge produced in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary elevation of the area indicated by the dotted rectangle 2 in FIG- URE l and showing the arrangement of the stitches in the finished product;

FIGURE 3 is a greatly enlarged diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the stitches of the simulated lace fabric shown in the left-hand two-thirds of FIGURE 2 are formed.

Referring to the drawings, the knitted simulated lace border is indicated broadly at 10 and is shown joined in integral knit relation to a knit cufi portion 11 at the top of a sock S in FIGURE 1. The fabric of the present invention may be produced on one of many different types of knitting machines currently available and is illustrated as true-rib knit fabric produced on the well known type machine having dial and cylinder needles.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the first courses 21 and 22 of knitting form stitch loops in the wales W2, W4, W6 and W-S. These courses are commonly called separating courses and are provided to temporarily hold the knitted fabric sections together when knitted as string work. Of course, after knitting is completed and the fabric is removed from the machine, the courses 21 and "ice 22 are unraveled'or otherwise removed between the sections held together thereby.

The course 23 in FIGURE 3 is the first course of the simulated lace portion 10 and is knitted in alternate wales, indicated at Wl, W3, W5, W7 and W9, by the cylinder needles and in intervening Wales, indicated at W2, W-4, W6 and W8, by the dial needles to form the make-up course. In the next course indicated at 24, the yarn is fed to the cylinder and dial needles in wales W-l through W-9 and stitch loops are drawn by both the cylinder and dial needles to shed the previously formed loops of course 23. In the course 24, the dial needles in wales W-Z, W-4, W6 and WS are extended to take the yarn in the hooks thereof and withdrawn sufiiciently to form stitch loops and thus shed the stitch loops in wales W2, W-4, W6 and W8 of course 23 but are not again extended to yarn receiving position after shedding these loops.

In course 25, the cylinder needles in wales Wl, W3, WS, W-7 and W9 only take the yarn and form stitches therewith since the dial needles in wales W2, W4, W6 and W-S remain in withdrawn position so that the yarn is floated across the wales W2, W4, W6 and W-8.- Courses 26 and 27 are then successively knitted in an identical manner to that described for course 25 that is, with the cylinder needles in wales Wl, W3, W5, W-7 and W-9 drawing stitches and the dial needles in wales W2, W-4, W6 and W8 continuing to hold in their hooks the stitch loops formed in the course 24. Of course, the number of courses knitted in this manner may vary from the number described if desired.

Course 28 is next formed by feeding yarn to the dial and cylinder needles in all the wales W1 through W9 anddrawing stitch loops therewith in all of the Wales. The stitch loops drawn in wales W2, W4, W6 and WS during the knitting of course 28 thus cause the dial needles to shed the previously held yarn fed thereto during the course 24 to form hold or draw stitches extending from the course 24 to the course 28. Course 29 is next formed by feeding yarn to the hooks of the needles in all wales Wl through W9 but the cylinder needles in wales W3 and W-7 are not previously raised to stitch shedding level so that the yarn fed thereto is held in the hook along with the yarn of the stitch loop formed in course 28. Courses 30, 31 and 32 are next formed in a manner identical to that which the course 29 was formed and here again the number of courses formed in this manner may vary if desired.

Course 33 is then formed by feeding the yarn to all the cylinder and dial needles after raising all the needles to shedding level to draw stitch loops in each Wale of this course. Thus, when the stitch loops are formed in wales W-3 and W-7 of course 33 a tuck stitch is formed in each Wale which covers the area from course 28 through course 32. These tuck stitches include the yarns fed to the cylinder needles during courses 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32. The tuck stitches in the wales W3 and W7 of FIGURE 3 are exaggerated in length but appear about normal in size in FIGURE 2. The drawing up of the fabric by the tuck stitches and hold stitches in courses 23 through 32 provides a picot or scalloped edge on the fabric, best illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. While the picot or scalloped edge of the fabric in FIGURES 1 and 2 appears to be flat the edge actually forms a wavy line parts of which are closer to the observer than others, when looking at the fabric as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Following the course 33, another plain rib knit course, indicated at 34 in FIGURE 3, is knit on all of the dial and cylinder needles by feeding a yarn to all of the needles and drawing stitches therewith in each of the wales W-1 through W-9. The simulated lace fabric is then begun in the course.35 by feeding yarn to. all the needles and knitting stitch loops with the needles in all wales. The course 36 is next formed by feeding yarn to the hooks of the needles in all wales W-l through W-9 butthe cylinder needles in wales W-3 and W-7 are not previously raised to stitch shedding level so that the yarn fed thereto is held in the hook along with the yarn of the stitch loop formed in course 35. The courses 37 through 40 are formed in the same manner as the course 35 with an additional yarn being fed to the hooks of the cylinder needles in wales W-3 and W-7 with each revolution of the cylinder.

The course 41 is next knit. by feeding yarn to, all of the needles, after raising the needles in wales W-3 and W-7 to shedding level, and stitch loops are drawn by the needles in each of the wales W-1 through W-9 to thus form tuck stitches in the Wales W3 and W-7 which extend, from' the course 35 through the course 49. The manner in which the tuck stitches are formed in the courses 35 through 40 and wales W-3 and W-7 causes the adjacent stitches to be distorted in the manner indicated in FIGURE 2 to provide openings indicated at 60 and 61 adjacent opposite sides of each of the tuck stitches around the periphery of the sock S. The openings 60 and 61 simulate the openings formed in true lace which must ordinarilybe produced on a conventional lace machine. In the courses 42 through 49, a simulated lace fabric is formed which has a different appearance than the simulated lace fabric formed in the courses 35 through 41. This is effected by combining tuckstitches and hold or draw stitches. In forming this area, a course 42 is first knitted by feeding yarn to all of the needles and drawing stitches therewith but are held in withdrawn position until a subsequent course. Thus, when the next course 43 is formed, the cylinder needles in wales W-l, W-3, W-S, W-7 and W-9 take and draw stitches with the yarn but the dial needles in wales W-Z, W-4, W-6 and W-8 are in withdrawn position and holding the stitches in course 42 so that the yarn is floated across these wales. The course 44 is knitted in a manner identical to the course 43 except that the cylinder needles in wales W-3 and W-7 are not raised to shedding level before the next course. 7 i

The course 45 is next formed by feeding yarn to the cylinder needles in wales W-l, W3, W-5, W-7 and W-9 and drawing stitch loops with the cylinder needles in wales W1, W- and W-9 only. Thus, during course 45, the cylinder needles in the wales W3 and W-7 take the yarn in the hooks thereof but do not form stitches therewith until a subsequent course while the yarn is floated across the dial needle wales W-2, W-4, W-6 and W-8. The next course 46 is formed in a manner identical to course 45. v

Course 47 is formed by feeding yarn to the hooks of all of the needles and drawing stitches therewith in all of the Wales except the wales W-3 and W-7 so that the hold or draw stitches in the wales W-2, W-4, W-6 and W-8 are shed off of the dial needles which held them in the hooks thereof since the course'42. The courses 48 and 49 are knit in an identical manner to the course 47 with thecylinder needles in wales W-3 and W-7 receiving yarn in the hooks but not'forming form stitches therewith.

The course 50 is next formed by feeding yarn to all 7 of the needles in the wales W-l through W-9 and drawing stitch loops therewith in each wale after raising the cylinder needles in wales (-3 and W-7 to shedding level. Upon the stitch loops in wales W-3 and W-7 being formed in the course 50, tuck stitches are formed in these wales W3 and W-7 and extend from the course 44 through the course 49. The course 51 and succeeding courses are formed withplain or regular stitches in each wale and are illustrated as being alternately knit on cylinder and dial needles to provide forwardly and reversely facing stitch loops. 7

Referring to FIGURE 3, it will be noted that some of the yarns gathered by the tuck stitches extend from stitches in adjacent Wales 4 and others extend from wales disposed one wale away from the tuck stitches to thus produce openings indicated at 62 and 63 on opposite sides of the tuck stitches. The appearance of the. openings 62 and 63 are different from the appearance of the openings 6%) and 61 immediately therebelow because of the manner in which the tuck stitches are formed in combination with the hold or draw stitches.

The tuck and draw stitches distort the plain stitches in the courses 24 through 33 to form the picot or scalloped edge of tr e simulated lace portion 10 after the separating courses 21 and 22 are removed, as best shown in FIG- URE 2. The courses 34 through 4-1 of the simulated lace having the openings 60 and 61 therein are produced by forming tuck stitches in wales W-3 and W7. The courses 42 through 50 having the openings 62 and 63 therein are produced by forming hold or draw stitches in wales W-2, W-4, W-6 and W-8 and forming tuck stitches in the wales W3 and W-7.

Thus, a simulated lace fabric has been provided which may be knit continuously on a circular knitting machine and having a conventionally knit cuff knitted integral therewith in a continuous operation without the necessity of knitting the lace on a separate machine and then sewing or otherwise attaching the same to a conventionally knit cuff for a stocking 'or the like. It is to be understood that although the cylinder needles in wales W3 and W-7 are used to form the tuck stitches in each instance, other needles may be utilized to form tuck stitches in other portions of the simulated lace fabric.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. 'An ornamental top for a circular knit stocking having an integrally knit scalloped terminal edge and a simulated lace portion, said top comprising the combination of a plurality of successively knit courses forming walewise stitch loops, first draw stitches formed in every recurrent second wale in a first group of knit courses, first tuck stitches formed in every recurrent fourth wale in a second group of courses immediately following said first group of courses, said first draw stitches and tuck stitches deforming the fabric to provide the scalloped edge therealong, plain stitches formed in all wales in a series of courses immediately following said first tuck stitch courses, second tuck stitches formed in said fourth wales in a third group of courses immediately following said series of courses, plain stitches formed in all wales of a course immediately following said second tuck stitch courses, second draw stitches formed in said second wales in a fourth group of courses-immediately following said regular stitch course, third tuck stitches formed in said fourth wales in the last three courses of said fourth group of courses and extending into a fifth group of courses, and plain stitches formed in all wales in .a second series of courses immediately following said third tuck stitch courses, the second tuck stitches in the third group of courses and the third tuck stitches and second draw stitches in the respective fourth and fifth groups of courses deforming the fabric to form openings adjacent opposite sides of the tuck stitches simulating the openings in lace.

2. A circular knit fabric top for a stocking comprising a plurality of successively knit courses forming walewise stitch loops, draw stitches formed in spaced apart wales in a first group of said courses to draw up the fabric in said wales, and tuck stitches formed in other wales in a second group of courses successively following said first group of courses to further draw up the fabric, and plain stitches formed in all, other wales in each group of courses, the drawing up of the fabric by the draw and tuck stitches forming ascalloped edge on the fabric.

3. A circular knit simulated lace fabric comprising successively knit courses forming walewise stitch loops, draw stitches formed in selected wales in a certain group of courses, and tuck stitches formed in wales other than said selected wales, said tuck stitches being formed in some of the courses of said certain group of courses and extending into another group of courses immediately following said certain group of courses, the draw stitches and tuck stitches deforming the fabric to form openings adjacent opposite sides of the tuck stitches which simulate the openings in lace.

4. A circular knit simulated lace fabric comprising successively knit courses forming walewise stitch loops, first tuck stitches formed in selected wales in a given group of courses, at least one course of plain stitches immediately following said given group of courses, draw stitches formed in selected wales other than the wales in which said first tuck stitches are formed and in a certain group of courses immediately following the course of plain stitches, and second tuck stitches formed in the same wales as said first tuck stitches, said second tuck stitches being formed in some of the courses of said certain group of courses and extending into another group of courses immediately following said certain group of courses, the draw and tuck stitches deforming the fabric to form openings having different appearances adjacent opposite sides of the first and second tuck stitches to simulate the irregular openings in lace.

5. A circular knit fabric top for a stocking comprising a plurality of successively knit courses forming walewise stitch loops, draw stitches formed in spaced apart wales in a first group of said courses to draw up the fabric in said wales, tuck stitches formed in other wales in a second group of courses immediately following said first group of courses to further draw up the fabric, plain stitches formed in all other wales in each group of courses, the drawing up of the fabric by the draw and tuck stitches forming a scalloped edge on the fabric, plain stitches formed in all wales in -a series of courses immediately following said second group of courses, and second tuck stitches formed in said other wales in a. third group of courses immediately following said series of courses, the second tuck stitches in the third group of courses deforming the fabric to form openings adjacent opposite sides of the tuck stitches simulating the openings in lace.

6. A circular knit fabric top for a stocking comprising a plurality of successively knit courses forming walewise stitch loops, tuck stitches formed in spaced apart wales in a certain group of courses to draw up the fabric in said wales, draw stitches formed in other wales in a second group of courses successively following said certain group of courses to further draw up the fabric, and plain stitches formed in all other wales in each group of courses, the tuck and draw stitches deforming the fabric to form openings which simulate the openings in lace.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 668,674 Brown Feb. 26, 1901 698,499 Hirner Apr. 29, 1902 743,231 Blood Nov. 3, 1903 1,096,566 Scott May 12, 1914 1,237,473 Chipman Aug. 21, 1917 1,374,155 Siewers Apr. 5, 1921 1,450,946 Gagne Apr. 10, 1923 1,491,759 Scott Apr. 22, 1924 1,719,082 Regar July 2, 1929 1,992,899 Lawson et al. Feb. 26, 1935 2,021,598 Gastrich Nov. 19, 1935 2,073,402 Fleisher Mar. 9, 1937 2,082,779 Buchholz June 8, 1937 2,191,883 Fleisher Feb. 27, 1940 2,269,088 Hanisch et al. Ian. 6, 1942 2,564,282 Sapin Aug. 14, 1951 2,585,597 St. Pierre Feb. 12, 1952 2,717,509 Bristow Sept. 13, 1955 2,853,865 McDonough Sept. 30, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 397,498 Great Britain Aug. 23, 1933 653,389 Great Britain May 16, 1951 

